Kampo and Cancer Immunity in the Era of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Abstract

Kampo medicine is well known to play an important role in cancer therapy, especially as a supportive therapy. We literally investigated the significance of Kampo medicine on antitumor effect including our data in the era that cancer immunotherapy using immune checkpoint inhibitors is a main stream. Up to now, many reports have been published regarding the mechanism of Kampo medicine on augmentation of immunity, particularly innate immunity. Regarding the effect of Kampo medicine on cancel of immune suppression by cancer, a few reports have been published including our data that juzentaihoto reduced regulatory T cell ratio in advanced pancreas cancer patients. Interestingly, a certain kind of Kampo medicine has possibility to induce immune tolerance in murine cardiac transplant model through increased regulatory T cells, and to suppress intestinal inflammation by anticancer drug by functioning immune checkpoint (PD-1). We hope that Kampo medicine would be proved to possibly regulate immune function from the viewpoint of immune checkpoint in the near future.